Pentagon accelerates schedule for weapons disposal at Blue Grass

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon plans to speed up by more than three years the destruction of chemical weapons at Blue Grass Army Depot in Madison County, a move that includes an additional $1.2 billion in construction at new disposal plants in Kentucky and Colorado, according to the Department of Defense.

"The additional funding will help hasten the safe disposal of weapons at the Blue Grass Army Depot and once the acceleration options are implemented, I expect even more time can be cut from the schedule to bring it into compliance with the 2017 Congressional deadline."

The disposal of the old weapons stockpile at the Blue Grass facility is an on-going saga, one that has included battles over federal funding, a 2007 leak of sarin — a toxic, odorless and tasteless liquid nerve agent with a consistency similar to water — and continued grassroots efforts to better regulate and remove the waste.

"It got so bad in 2005 that the Kentucky and Colorado projects were put on 'caretaker status,' meaning no funds were available to move forward towards disposal," said Craig Williams of Berea, director of the Chemical Weapons Working Group, an organization that has pushed for improved disposal.

In 2007, Congress approved a McConnell-backed measure that set a 2017 deadline on disposing of all chemical weapons stockpiles across the country.

The Pentagon's plans for the Kentucky and Colorado sites were always far behind that timetable.

Most projections for those facilities didn't suggest starting disposal operations until 2017.

In November, officials announced that the destruction of 157 gallons of nerve agent stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot would finally begin after more than a year of preparation and delays. However, just a few weeks after that announcement, an Army official overseeing the disposal of chemical weapons at Blue Grass said efforts were years off schedule, due to building redesign issues, and might not even start until 2021.

"This new funding announcement illustrates that the safety and well-being of the people of Central Kentucky is a priority in the Obama administration," said Rep. Ben Chandler, D-Versailles.

"Let's also hope that with this funding we can move up the timeline, bringing about a faster resolution to the destruction of this chemical weapons stockpile. This is a win for both Craig Williams and Sen. Mitch McConnell and a big win for the people of Madison County and the surrounding communities."

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